Real Madrid confirms Luka Modric has torn thigh muscle, no timetable for return

Real Madrid will be without Luka Modric for the foreseeable future, with the midfielder almost certain to be sidelined until the new year.

A statement on the club's website confirmed that the Croatian suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh during Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifying match against Italy, noting that he will undergo further testing this week to determine the length of his absence from the lineup.

Spanish outlet AS reports that Modric could be sidelined for upwards of three months, though the club is yet to give any official word on a timeline for his return.

"I felt a very strong pain in the upper part of my thigh," Modric told AS. "It still hurts. It is a shame, but football is like that."

Modric has started all but one match this season for the club, meaning manager Carlo Ancelotti will need to figure out a way to temporarily replace one of his most influential players. At the very least, he isn't short of options.

Both Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi could find themselves thrust into a starting role, and would represent the most straightforward move, as both are comfortable adopting the deeper midfield role that Modric dominated at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There is an outside possibility that Ancelotti could deploy Isco in that role as well. While naturally an attacking midfielder, the Spaniard has been in fantastic form for Madrid this season, and with Gareth Bale now fit once again, asking the 22-year-old to play a more holding position would allow Ancelotti to get both men into the starting lineup at the same time.